India

Sabarimala Welcomes New Year Pilgrims as Chingam Begins

Published: 17 August 2026 · 1 min read

What Happened

The famed Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala reopened for devotees on the first day of Chingam, marking the Malayalam New Year. Hundreds of pilgrims arrived from early morning for darshan after special rituals and pujas were held on Sunday evening.

Key Takeaways

The temple is expected to witness a major rush in the coming days due to the Chingam festivities and upcoming Onam celebrations. Authorities have expanded transport services and urged devotees to use the virtual queue system for smoother crowd management.

Sources

India Today